Life Skill of the month is Courtesy

Courtesy is more than just a word or an action. It is a choice. Every day you have the chance to show and demonstrate courtesy. During class we simply refer to courtesy as treating people right, or doing unto others as you would have them do unto you (golden rule).

Courtesy comes in many different forms and is rarely ever praised or rewarded. It’s the conscious effort of putting others before you and over time develops good habits that dictate your strength in character. You should never seek tangible rewards for showing courtesy to friends and strangers, because demonstrating courtesy with the wrong motives shows fear of not being recognized and low self-esteem.

On behalf of Empower Martial Arts and its instructors, I would like to challenge you to not just wait around for opportunities to arise, but to seek out more situations where you could show courtesy and maybe even step out of your comfort zone.

Showing courtesy leads to higher self-esteem, higher self-esteem leads to confidence, and confidence leads to leadership and empowering the lives of those around you. Don’t waste any opportunity to grow and help others. For more information call (913)-754-6570 or e-mail tj_holgerson@hotmail.com.

Empower Martial Arts Supports our Troops Fort Bragg, NC

Friday November 2^nd Empower Martial Arts instructors joined our military soldiers and supported their families by attending the brigade run, Purple Heart ceremony, and Gold Star memorial ceremony. Not very often do you get to see thousands of soldiers running in formation and their families cheering them on. The brigade run consisted of 4 miles and not one person was left behind.

 

Following the run was the Purple Heart Ceremony, where soldiers and families gathered to honor those who had been injured during combat. Not every wounded soldier was in attendance, but one such soldier was, SSR Travis Mills. He is the 4^th person ever to survive a quadruple amputee surgery. Seeing him standing and greeting fellow soldiers later was a very surreal sight indeed.

Later in the evening was the Gold Star ceremony where a gold star was awarded, along with a plaque, to the families of the soldiers who died during combat. Emotions were high and tears were shed as the fellow soldiers and families of each victim mourned their loss. Once the prayer was given and shots were fired, emotions began to sink in as everyone became silent in remembrance. The strength of the families who had lost a loved one was unbelievable and is a constant reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a free country.

No Rules Self-Defense Fayetteville, NC

It’s very important that you remember when it comes to self-defense there are NO RULES. When you feel threatened, in trouble, or in any kind of danger, your only job is to get away quickly and safely as fast as possible.

The last thing you should have on your mind is to follow rules such as: I don’t want to draw attention to myself, I don’t want to lie, and I don’t want to hit someone. As master Tom Callos puts it, “HIT and hit HARD, LIE and lie BIG, don’t be afraid to throw a rock through someone’s window to get attention!” Bite, scratch, yell, stomp, kick, and throw things to get away and get away quickly.

Look for clues, be assertive, and be aware of the environment around you. Be aware of dark hallways, dark parking lots, strange characters by themselves, areas of town that become dangerous late at night, and anything that makes your hair stand up are all early signs of possible danger. However,  there are some types of danger that cannot be predicted and happen very quickly, such as car accidents or sport injuries.

Finally, never allow a situation that’s not good to get worse, or extremely dangerous. When a situation doesn’t feel right,  trust your instincts, get away, and get help quickly.